Left to Suffer: Doug and Jazz’s Fight for Survival
On a cold February evening, a passerby walking down Longhedge Lane in Orston, near Bottesford, Leicestershire, stumbled upon a scene that no animal lover ever wants to witness. Abandoned in the darkness were two lurchers — weak, malnourished, and suffering from untreated wounds.
The male, later named Doug, was barely more than a year old. His leg was painfully swollen, and his ribs jutted out under his thin coat. Beside him lay Jazz, a five-year-old female who, despite her age and frailty, seemed to cling to Doug as though her presence alone could protect him.
Both dogs were in a pitiful state — their skin raw, their bodies covered in pressure sores, their eyes dulled by exhaustion and neglect. Whoever had once cared for them had not only failed them but had chosen to abandon them in one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives.
The Good Samaritan who found them quickly alerted the RSPCA, and inspectors rushed to the scene. They described what they saw as “heartbreaking” and admitted that the only word to capture their condition was “a mess.”
The dogs were immediately transported to an emergency veterinary clinic, where they were given antibiotics, pain relief, and fluids. Doug, the younger of the two, was in the poorest condition. Jazz, thankfully microchipped, offered inspectors at least a small lead — her name, her age, and a sliver of her past.
“Both dogs are currently receiving veterinary care for numerous wounds, pressure sores, and their general skin condition,” said Ella Carpenter, manager at the RSPCA Radcliffe Animal Centre. “They are both malnourished, especially Doug, and their condition suggests they have been in a neglected state for some time.”
Despite their suffering, both lurchers responded with quiet trust to the hands that finally offered them comfort. Their tails wagged weakly, and they leaned into the gentle touch of the vets as though desperate to believe that kindness still existed.
The RSPCA has now launched an investigation, appealing to the public for any information about how these dogs came to be abandoned in such a remote location.
For Inspector Kate Burris, the case has been particularly difficult.
“It’s heartbreaking to see the condition both these dogs had been left in,” she said. “And then on top of that, to think that someone simply abandoned them at night in a lonely country lane… it’s truly shocking.”
Doug and Jazz now face a long road to recovery. But thanks to the care of the RSPCA team and the generosity of those who support them, there is hope. Their story is not just one of cruelty, but also of survival — and of the resilience that dogs show, even after the worst betrayal.